Mika From Sweden, joined Jul 2000, 2788 posts, RR: 4 Posted (6 years 7 months 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 2184 times:
Just curious if anyone else had this experience..this whole week i have been at a local mental hospital/ward installing furniture and garments (that´s what my/our company do), and i must say that when i leave that place everyday i cant help to feel a little emotional and taken by what iv'e seen during the day.
It's a very special feeling to get to know and see that there are so many people who are so ill in their mind and soul that they have to be incarcerated in a place like that..it's a saddening experience, at least to me. Yesterday for example i had to install 3 roller blinds in 3 different patient rooms and i had a pretty strange experience to say the least. I was all along expecting that i was not to go in to any patient's room by myself and actually make the installations while the patient was there..how wrong i was. The woman that is the head of the unit just told me to knock on the door and go ahead and do my job (i do think now that this was a bad decision from her side). Obviously i had no clue about the state of these patients, other than that they are not in the high-risk category so to speak.
Anyways, i went ahead with my job and stumbled upon the people who resided in the rooms, particularly one young girl struck me as she seemed pretty ouy of touch with this world. Said and done, i did my job and after i was done i left my tools in the hallway outside of the patient rooms to get some screws from another floor of the building. When i came back the head of the unit told me that i should watch where i leave my tools since the particular girl that i had visited earlier "enjoys to cut herself" (her exact words). Fine i thought, it wont happen again..the thought never struck me before as she had given me very little to no instructions on how to behave or what i could and could not do, i was quite confused and reserved working in that environment. Later i thought that what if that girl had taken my tools and harmed herself..who would carry the resposnability? I'm pretty sure that it would not have been me but the head of the unit who gave all control to me. I dont know, she just seemed abit disrespectful in general and negligent. It surprised me to see i must say..i was expecting a very professional and throughout behavior from someone working at a ward (let alone being head of one).
Anyways, end of rant. Have anyone else in here had the experience of working (directly or indirectly) at a mental hospital? What did you think of it? How did it make you feel?
Cxsjr From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 6, posted (6 years 7 months 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 2140 times:
Yes, my brother-in-law has been sectioned due to psychological problems brought to a head by having smoked too much weed!
It's not Rampton or anything like that (a famous high security UK mental prison), just the psychiatric ward at the local hospital. Nevertheless, it's still quite daunting when we visit; you just have to act normally as if you were visiting 'sane' people and go along with whatever they say.
Strangely enough, and quite topical in todays news, even people who have been sectioned in this country can have to wait at home for several days before being allocated a 'bed' at their local hospital! And even when they are admitted, it is quite easy for them to walk out and go missing for a period of days, as we have found out from experience with my brother-in-law.
Dont worry, the pills will start to take effect soon and you will come back to reality...
Well said brother!
Quoting Cxsjr (Reply 6): And even when they are admitted, it is quite easy for them to walk out and go missing for a period of days, as we have found out from experience with my brother-in-law.
Agreed. During all the things that i saw this week at that place one was a patient triggering the fire alarm and sprinkler system in a toilet in the entrance, after which he ran out of the building. I actually ended up a witness to this event. I didnt think a sprinkler would chug out water at that rate, it was pretty impressive actually. It took 10-15mins until the fire fighters came and the sprinkler could be turned off.
Mhodgson From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2002, 5047 posts, RR: 29 Reply 8, posted (6 years 7 months 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 2085 times:
The UK shut down most of its asylums - though there is a popular 'urban exploration' movement of people who visit the deserted asylums for photos and interest - it is quite interesting to read about. I'm fascinated by them, as my school was in the shadow of a large asylum, the Lancaster Moor Hospital.
CastleIsland From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 11, posted (6 years 7 months 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 2068 times:
About ten years ago, I was doing a lab-packing job at a former mental hospital in Massachusetts that had been shut down a couple of years before. We had to survey the campus grounds and buildings to identify all chemicals, petroleum products, paints, batteries, etc. and then segregate and pack them for transportation and disposal as hazardous waste.
The place was creepy as hell. Power was gone, so we could only work during daylight hours. Some of the dank corridors and rooms there reeked of insanity and death. Much of the old "equipment," as it were, was still there as they had been left. Damn job took two weeks. Fortunately, I turned out OK.
Redngold From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 6907 posts, RR: 51 Reply 12, posted (6 years 7 months 4 days 22 hours ago) and read 2041 times:
When I was in high school I visited a friend who had been hospitalized after a suicide attempt. The place she was in was part of a 200-bed local hospital, and other than being a "locked ward" and having a larger common room, it was set up relatively similar to all the other floors.
Not being a family member, I was only able to visit with her because I was a volunteer and saw her name on our patient list (nowadays I wouldn't have access to a printed patient census like we used to have.) So I bought her a card and delivered it to her personally (I delivered flowers and cards on Fridays.)
Jcs17 From United States of America, joined Jun 2001, 8065 posts, RR: 43 Reply 13, posted (6 years 7 months 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 2036 times:
Quoting Mhodgson (Reply 8): The UK shut down most of its asylums - though there is a popular 'urban exploration' movement of people who visit the deserted asylums for photos and interest - it is quite interesting to read about. I'm fascinated by them, as my school was in the shadow of a large asylum, the Lancaster Moor Hospital.
It's really a shame that many advanced countries have shut down most of their asylums in the name of "freedom." Instead of seriously mentally ill people being treated in a safe environment, they have been released to the streets, where they tend to succumb to substance abuse and homelessness. I'm usually against government interference in stuff like healthcare, but shoving these people into the streets is an absolute travesty.
DALelite From Switzerland, joined Jun 2000, 1770 posts, RR: 28 Reply 14, posted (6 years 7 months 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 1969 times:
I am a trained male psychiatric nurse. And i work in a psych.clinic which also is a hotel for 'normal' guests. I am working on a psychotherapy ward.
I also think that someone responsible should have given you more instructions on how to behave , does and don'ts. In your case this would've been the head nurse.
You asked, if it was the case that this woman would've harmed herself with your tools, whom they would have made responsible for.
I can tell you things like that happen very often. And in the end everybody learns their part. But the most important thing is , not to forget that those people , no mattere how ill they are, still carry a big deal of responsibility for themselfs.
Jamincan From Canada, joined Aug 2006, 764 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (6 years 7 months 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 1945 times:
Quoting Jcs17 (Reply 13): It's really a shame that many advanced countries have shut down most of their asylums in the name of "freedom." Instead of seriously mentally ill people being treated in a safe environment, they have been released to the streets, where they tend to succumb to substance abuse and homelessness. I'm usually against government interference in stuff like healthcare, but shoving these people into the streets is an absolute travesty.
I agree. Many people dealing with mental health issues would thrive much more in a structured environment that a mental hospital could provide. Unfortunately, most mental hospitals have been shut down in Canada as well, favouring home care solutions. I agree that in many cases that is favourable, but sometimes that is simply not an option, and the patient ends up floundering on the street. We have options for elderly who can't care for themselves, but the equivalent options for mental patients are few and far between.
ShyFlyer From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 16, posted (6 years 7 months 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 1940 times:
Quoting Jcs17 (Reply 13): Instead of seriously mentally ill people being treated in a safe environment, they have been released to the streets, where they tend to succumb to substance abuse and homelessness.
Not to mention criminal activity. I work in the Mental Health department of a local privately run state prison. We have a number of Inmates that will never be able to function appropriately in society.
Cadet57 From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 9081 posts, RR: 34 Reply 18, posted (6 years 7 months 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 1925 times:
F9Animal From United States of America, joined Dec 2004, 4731 posts, RR: 30 Reply 19, posted (6 years 7 months 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 1921 times:
Do they have mental institutions in the Middle East?
AA777 From United States of America, joined May 1999, 2468 posts, RR: 31 Reply 20, posted (6 years 7 months 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 1895 times:
I just got a job working at a mental hospital in Washington DC... I am pretty nervous about it, it's going to be some very intense work. But good experience because I want to go into the field of mental health.
Cosec59 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 22, posted (6 years 7 months 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 1881 times:
During my dark days of my nervous breakdown, I was admitted to the local psychiatric hospital for two weeks. It was a very scary experience.I was at my lowest point and the local mental health team decided to admit me for my own safety.
I was suffering from severe depression ( I didn't work for 3 years due to the illness) and the medication I had been prescribed was having little effect.
The solution of the doctors at this hospital was to keep me "drugged up" and therefore I was like a zombie for a few days. This experience made me realise I could and should recover and was the kick start to my recovery.
NeilYYZ From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 23, posted (6 years 7 months 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 1865 times:
Quoting Jamincan (Reply 16): Unfortunately, most mental hospitals have been shut down in Canada as well, favouring home care solutions.
It's all about the money, it's cheaper to send them home than keep the hospitals up and running. I see both sides of the argument, but I wish there was some more help for those suffering from mental illness.
This turned out to be a pretty informative and interesting thread (i feared it would turn into 'Signed by'-o'mania!), thanks to all you who contribute to this thread!
Jamincan From Canada, joined Aug 2006, 764 posts, RR: 0 Reply 25, posted (6 years 7 months 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 1828 times:
Quoting NeilYYZ (Reply 23): It's all about the money, it's cheaper to send them home than keep the hospitals up and running. I see both sides of the argument, but I wish there was some more help for those suffering from mental illness.
Not only is it cheaper, but I think when the support is there within the home, it is better. Unfortunately, for many people the home isn't there, or the support isn't there.
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